About me
I studied architectural history and business studies at the University of Edinburgh, where I was formally introduced to photography, followed by a postgraduate course in town planning at Edinburgh College of Art. I worked in local authority planning, focussing on conservation, then moved to the museum sector, and from there to running the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland. Photography has always been my passion, has been a key tool throughout my career, and in 2015 I established Colin McLean Photography. I hold a distinction - LRPS - from the Royal Photographic Society, and I’m a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAScot).
I use Nikon D850 and D800 DSLR cameras, invariably tripod mounted, with a selection of Nikkor lenses, and a DJI drone.
I have had the privilege of working for clients across the UK, creating for them beautiful and enduring images of historic buildings and places. Here are some examples of what they have to say about working with me.
“With Colin one gets a lot more than artistically and technically superb photographs, one gets an incredible knowledge, passion, interest and a dedication to the commission that does complete justice to the subject. In addition, it is always the greatest pleasure to work with Colin.” Ben Tindall, Principal, Benjamin Tindall Architects
“We gave Colin a challenging brief: out-of-the-way, difficult-to-find buildings and streetscapes with obscure heritage significance. Colin approached the project with an extraordinary level of patience, clear-sightedness and dexterity. The result was a beautiful set of photographs which will serve York Civic Trust in publicly celebrating our 80th Anniversary in 2026 and beyond. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Colin and would recommend him to anyone looking for sublime images of historic buildings.” Emily Heywood, York Civic Trust
“I commissioned Colin to photograph a range of architectural plans and drawings of private banks in Georgian London for a forthcoming book on the subject. The work has been challenging given the age and condition of many of the archival materials involved, but Colin has worked with patience, skill and great attention to detail. His ability to repair and restore images that have been damaged or altered is especially noteworthy. Colin's knowledge of architectural history, combined with his technical excellence as a photographer, made him the unrivalled choice for work of this kind. The results have exceeded my expectations and Colin has been a delight to work with throughout.” Dr Iain Black, Emeritus Fellow, University of Cambridge
Clients: Aberdeenshire Council - Airdrie Savings Bank - The Architectural Heritage Fund - Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland - Beck Interiors - Dr Iain Black, Emeritus Fellow, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge - Borders Forest Trust - Chitendai Ltd - The Citadel Youth Project, Leith - Alan Couper Consulting - Cowane’s Hospital Trust, Stirling - Cringletie House Hotel - DEIF (formerly the Danish Electro Instrument Factory) - DesignMap - Discover Scottish Gardens - Forest Carbon - Forest Direct Ltd - Form Atlarge - The GalGael Trust - Jura Consultants - LDN Architects - The Landmark Trust - The Mavisbank Trust - John McAslan + Partners - Metaphor Design - Morham + Brotchie Partnership - Morris & Steedman Associates - Richard Murphy Architects - National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund) - Page \ Park Architects - Paisley Museum - Paul Mellon Centre (Yale University) - Penicuik House Preservation Trust - Renfrewshire Council - The Ridge, Dunbar - Runciman Apse Trust - Scottish Historic Buildings Trust - The Secret Herb Garden - Fiona Sinclair, Architect - The Tim Stead Trust - Benjamin Tindall Architects - Tweed Forum - The Unicorn Preservation Trust - The Willow Tearooms Trust - York Civic Trust - York Conservation Trust
